A dimwitted thief, with a visible tattoo of his name on his arm, was collared yesterday for snatching an adorable puppy from a Long Island animal rescue center this week, Suffolk County cops and the center’s owner said.

A shirtless Justin Geiger, 23, strolled into the Friends of Freddie Pet Rescue in Middle Island Tuesday and apparently became enamored with the ten-week-old Rottweiler, who was rescued after a puppy mill ditched him.

“He was going around introducing himself first,” said the center’s founder, Barbara Sanelli, 56. “He had his name tattooed on his forearm that you could see when you shake his hand.”

“He held the Rottie and spent some time with him,” Sanelli said. “He asked us whether he had a microchip. I guess he wanted to know whether he was identifiable. ”

Geiger apparently couldn’t cough up the $350 adoption fee and left after Sanelli asked him to put a shirt on. But the crook allegedly returned early the next morning and swiped the ten-pound pooch after smashing the glass front door.

“I was devastated when I saw our puppy was gone the next day,” Sanelli said.

But Geiger’s harebrained heist was short-lived. Suffolk police said the tattoos helped identify the suspect and fast acting cops soon tracked him to his home, where he was busted yesterday.

“The subject was arrested at his home with the pup inside. He readily admitted he stole the puppy,” Lieutenant Tom O’Heir of the Sixth Squad said.

While he was getting cuffed, the suspect also professed his fondness for man’s best friend. “He said he likes dogs. He said dogs are his friends,” O’Heir said.

“Talk about puppy love,” O’Heir said. “People get arrested for stealing dogs, they just don’t usually break in to do it,” said O’Heir.

“We’re just happy the dog is back and is safe,” a relieved Sanelli said.

“If he loves dogs he should’ve been volunteering instead of stealing. We gladly would’ve helped him out.” Instead, Sanelli is preparing to install a security system at her shelter, which has yet to officially open.

Geiger was charged with burglary.

Friends of Freddie Pet Rescue will be holding an adoption event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.